Building construction



F. WATT.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1919.

1,428,375. Patented-July 18, 1922.

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starts FREDERIGK WATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSEGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO THOMIAS T. PEFIBOR, OF CIi-IIQAGO, ILLINOIS.

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed September 29, 1919.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Fnnnmnorr AM, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Building Constructions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to building construction.

It is particularly applicable to temporary structures, such as scaii'olds, towers and the like.

An object of the invention is to provide a building structure which may be readily assembled and taken down.

Another object is to provide a structure which is simple, strong and inexpensive.

Another object is to provide a structure which may be assembled and taken down without injury to the members thereof.

Another object is to provide a building structure readily adapted for a variety of uses. 7 7

Other objects and advantages will appear from the specification and claims.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a scaffold embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section through one of the joints of the structure.

Fig. 3 is a section through the stirrup-like clamp member on the line 8-3 o1 Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 is a section on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation of a modified clamp.

Figs. 1 to 1 will first be described.

The structure illustrated, which may be used as a temporary sca'l'lold comprises four or more uprights or posts 5, which are rigidly held together in proper spaced relation by a number of stays or beams 6 to form a self-supporting polygonal structure. These stays may extend both transversely and longitudinally of the scaffold between the posts so as to lend strength and rigidity to the structure.

The posts are each provided with a series of transverse grooves 7 for accommodating and supporting the ends of the transverse stays, and a series of similar grooves 8 for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.

Serial No. 327,160.

accommodating and supporting the ends of the longitudinal stays. These grooves provide seats in which the stays are supported and serve as guides for their proper positioning when the scaffold is being erected.

The posts and stays are temporarily held together by ties or clamps 10, which, when tightened in place, bind the members of the structure firmly together, but which may be loosened to allow the structure to be readily taken down and as readily erected.

Each clamp comprises a substantially U- shaped member, having its two parallel sides or branches 11 interconnected at the back by a comparatively heavy yoke 12. Yoke 12 has a recess or groove 13 extending therethrough, from side to side, for the accommodation of a nut, as will be hereinafter described. The branches of the clamp overlie the sides of post 5 and the end of stay 6, as more clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and are provided with openings for bolts 15. Bolts 15 extend through the openings in branches 11 and the end of stay 6, and are secured in place by a nut 16 and a washer 17.

To bind the post and stay firmly together, a binding screw 20 projects through an opening in the head of each clamp. Screws 20 are each provided at their ends with a plate 21 abutting the side of post 5, and held in place on the bolt by a countersunk screw 22. The plate presents a comparatively large surface to the post and, if the posts are of wood, prevents the scarring or mutilation thereof.

In order that the binding screw may be screwed in and out of the clamp to apply or relieve pressure to clamp the structure rigidly together, or allow the same to be taken apart, a nut 2-3 rests within the recess 13. Nut 23 is prevented from rotating by the wall of: the recess, so that the turning of screw 20 causes the same to be turned into and out of the clamp to press plate 21 against the post and thus draw the post and stay together, or to release the post and stay, when the scaffold is to be taken down.

Fig. 5 shows a modified clamp made from a single strip of sheet metal. The base of the branches 11 is formed into a yoke, having a projection 25 for receiving and closely embracing the nut 23. This clamp acts in precisely the same manner as that previously described.

The entire structure may be readily assembled by sliding the clamps over the post until the grooves at the desired height or spacing are reached and then'seating the ends of the stays into the grooves and tightening the clamps to bind the stays and posts together. Some of the stays may be used to support a platform 26, such as shown in Fig. 1.

To remove the structure, it is only necessary to loosen the clamping screws 20 until the stays and clamps can he slid from the posts. By providing the posts with a number of notches, as shown in Fig. 1, a variety of heights and arrangement of stays can be obtained with the same members.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. A. building structure comprising a plurality of upright posts, each post having a series of corresponding transverse grooves in two adjacent sides thereof; a plurality of beams extending between the posts to form a self-supporting polygonal structure and having their ends seated in the grooves; and detachable screw clamps encompassing a post and the sides of a beam. for securing an end of each beam in a groove of the corresponding post.

2. A building structure comprising a plurality of grooved vertical posts and horizontal beams interconnected to form a polygonal structure, the ends of the beams being seated in grooves in the posts, and a screw clamp encompassing the joint between each post and beam and rigidly holding the end of the beam within its seat in the post to provide a readily assembled temporary selfsupporting structure.

3. A building structure comprising a plurality of upright posts, each post having a series of transverse grooves in two adjacent sides thereof with only alternate grooves in the same face, beams extending between pairs of posts, eachbeam having its opposite ends seated in the grooves of the correspond ing faces of adjacent posts, and screw clamps encompassing the post and the end of each beam and de-tachably securing the end of each beam within its groove.

4. A building structure comprising a plurality of upright posts, each post having a series of transverse grooves in two adjacent sides thereof so arranged that only alternate grooves are in the same face; a plurality of horizontally extending beams interconnecting the posts to form a polygonal structure and having their ends seated in the grooves; a separate detachable screw clamp encompassing a post and the end of each beam, each clamp having two parallel side members interconnected by a yoke, each of said side members being perforated near its free end for a bolt and said yoke having an angular recess therein; a nut positioned in the recess and held thereby against rotation; a screw passing through the yoke and threaded through the nut; a plate carried by the end of the screw; and a bolt connecting the side members to the beam.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribed my name.

FREDERICK WATT. 

